OBOR could see an extension of China’s Xinjiang strategy.
A Hami melon is so much like Xinjiang. A white filigree runs over its yellow rind. So much like a map, or like the pattern on a bottle of Old Monk rum. And, under the melon’s intriguing skin lies pale yellow bliss. The melon is a gift of the desert. So is Xinjiang, the province that hides much under its skin.
A string of high-altitude oases, this province lies at the heart of China’s One Belt One Road initiative. Look out of the window before the aircraft descends into Urumqi, and see a land painted in varying shades of grey. The retiring sun smears gold on the snow capped crags of the Tian Shan range. And, then, Urumqi. A flash of green. A blaze on the horizon.
Urumqi is more than a city on the ancient Silk Route. It is a conversation between cultures, between time. Uyghur Muslims make up close to 46 per cent of the province, but there are many more ethnicities in the mosaic. Just as Perth is the world’s most remote city, Urumqi is the city farthest from the sea. And, it is the ‘heart’ of Asia. Twenty-five kilometres from Urumqi, stands an 18m tower to mark the geographical centre of the continent. Of course, such a marker does not go uncontested. The Russians say the heart of Asia lies in Kyzyl, in the Tyva Republic.
However, Urumqi’s remoteness does not put it too far from Beijing. Everything, from architecture to infrastructure and agriculture, has a Beijing touch. For example, here, the sunset is at around 9pm, Beijing Time. Beijing goes to work at around 8am, and, to compensate, Urumqi clocks in at 10am.
This story is from the June 18, 2017 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 18, 2017 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
There Is A Wind Blowing Against The BJP, And It Will Only Pick Up Speed
Interview - Akhilesh Yadav, Former Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh
Between hospital and home
Transitional care centres can add a lot to India's health care system
EFFORT VS EFFECT
The government's attempts to ensure quality drugs is evident, but how well new policies can be monitored on the ground remains to be seen
A way to let go of fear
Accepting the use of adult diapers is a journey with various stages-denial, concealment, rejection and reluctance
Mandeeps & a miracle
Two strangers, one deadly disease and an act of kindness. How Mandeep Mann saved Mandeep Singh, an acute leukaemia patient, by donating his stem cells
The A, B, C of cosmetic surgery
Between eight to 10 lakh cosmetic surgeries happen in India every year. Who is an ideal candidate, and what are the risks and results you can expect?
Vaccines and meningitis
In sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, and encompassing the northern part of Nigeria, there exists a region known as the African Meningitis Belt (AMB).
Celebrating diversity and inclusivity
As Indians battle it out in our nation's 18th general election, it is again time for voters to reflect on the \"Idea of India\"-or rather, on two duelling ideas of India that are now before us and between which the nation must choose at the ballot box.
Defendant: an Hermès handbag
When Hermès was hit with a class-action lawsuit last month for \"antitrust\" activities, it didn't see it coming. Most of the luxury world has all eyes on this suit, filed by two interested consumers who claim they were denied a purchase, and whether it would go to trial.
A legacy, bound
Amal Allana's biography of her father, Ebrahim Alkazi, is as much personal as it is historical